1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a lens-fitted photo film unit and a method of producing a photographic print, especially from picture frames photographed by the lens-fitted photo film unit.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
The lens-fitted photo film unit is pre-loaded with an unexposed photo film cartridge and provided with simple mechanisms for taking an exposure. There have been suggested a variety of types of lens-fitted photo film units. A type of lens-fitted photo film unit is disclosed for example in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 8-304883 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,025, that uses an IX240 type photo film cartridge of the Advanced Photo System, and has a view field changing mechanism for changing the view field between a C (conventional) size, a H (high-vision) size and a P (panoramic) size, wherein the C size represents an aspect ratio of about 1.4, the H size represents an aspect ratio of about 1.8, and the P size represents an aspect ratio of about 3. The photographer may select one of these three aspect ratios for each exposure.
This prior film unit is also provided with a device for recording optical indicia indicating the selected aspect ratio at each exposure on a predetermined marginal position outside each picture frame. The optical indicia conventionally consists of zero to two dots, and is called PAR (Print Aspect Ratio) code. Every picture frame is photographed in a full size that has the H size aspect ratio on the IX240 type photo filmstrip, but a print area of each picture frame and a print magnification are individually determined in accordance with the assigned PAR code. Thus, a C size print (89xc3x97127 mm), a H size print (89xc3x97158mm) or a P size print (89xc3x97254 mm) is produced from the print area of each picture frame.
Another type of lens-fitted photo film unit and a method of producing photographic prints from this type of lens-fitted photo film unit are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,249,652 and 6,263,167. The lens-fitted photo film unit of this type contains also an IX240 type photo film cartridge, and has a switching device for allowing the photographer to select a print magnification and a print aspect ratio from among several options. Every picture frame is photographed in the same size through a taking lens of a fixed focal length, and two kinds of optical indices are recorded on the photo filmstrip, for designating print conditions for each picture frame, including the print magnification and the print aspect ratio. In accordance with the optical indicia, a photographic print of a constant size is produced from the full size picture frame or a central fragment of the full size picture frame by use of a standard magnification or a correspondingly larger magnification. When merely the central fragment of the picture frame is printed at the larger magnification, the subsequent photographic print looks as if it were photographed by a taking lens of a longer focal length as compared to the photographic print that is produced from the full size picture frame by use of the standard magnification. Such a photographic print may be called a pseudo zoom print or a tele-converted print.
As described in the above prior arts, a digital printer has been known in the art, that photoelectrically scans each picture frame on a photo filmstrip and projects light beams to expose a photographic paper in accordance with image data obtained by scanning.
Although the Advanced Photo System and the digital printer have given a wider variety of photographic prints, it has been difficult to introduce such a printing system in practice that is versatile and is capable of producing a great variety of photographic prints automatically from those photo filmstrips exposed by the lens-fitted photo film units, without the need for any complicated operation or expensive structures.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a lens-fitted photo film unit and a photographic print producing method, which permit producing photographic prints in different print formats automatically at a low cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lens-fitted photo film unit and a photographic print producing method, which permit producing tele-converted photographic prints at a low cost automatically without the need for any complicated operation or expensive structures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lens-fitted photo film unit and a photographic print producing method, which permit producing pseudo zoom photographic prints each at a pseudo zoom ratio that is selectable by the photographer from among several options, automatically at a low cost.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a lens-fitted photo film unit comprises:
a taking lens having a fixed focal length, through which picture frames are photographed in respective exposure areas in a constant size on a preloaded photo filmstrip;
print format data prerecorded on the photo filmstrip prior to loading the photo filmstrip in the lens-fitted photo film unit, the print format data indicating that a predetermined size photographic print is to be produced from a predetermined central fragment of each of the picture frames by enlarging at a specific print magnification; and
an optical viewfinder having a view field corresponding to the central fragment of the picture frame, and a magnification corresponding to the specific print magnification, so a subject observed in the view field corresponds in magnification as well as in angle of view to an image contained in a photographic print of the predetermined size as produced from the central fragment.
A method of producing photographic prints from picture frames photographed by a lens-fitted photo film unit comprises the following steps:
recording, prior to loading an unexposed photo filmstrip in the lens-fitted photo film unit, print format data on the photo filmstrip, the print format data designating that a photographic print of a predetermined size is to be produced from a predetermined central fragment of each of the picture frames;
reading out the data from the photo filmstrip after the photo filmstrip is developed; and
printing an image of the central fragment of each of the picture frames onto photographic paper by enlarging at a specific print magnification that is determined based on the size of the central fragment relative to the predetermined print size.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a lens-fitted photo film unit comprises:
a taking lens having a fixed focal length, through which picture frames are photographed in respective exposure areas in a constant size on a preloaded photo filmstrip;
an externally operable zoom ratio selecting device for selecting a zoom ratio from among several options;
a view field changing device for changing a view field of a viewfinder according to the selected zoom ratio while maintaining the view field in a same aspect ratio; and
an optical data recording device for recording a variable number of dots optically on the photo filmstrip adjacent each of the picture frames at each exposure, the number of the dots varying depending upon the selected zoom ratio, wherein photographic prints of a predetermined size are produced by enlarging different print areas at different print magnifications from one picture frame to another in accordance with the selected zoom ratio represented by the number of the dots.
The focal length of the taking lens is preferably 20 mm to 25 mm. The view field changing device preferably comprises a movable conversion lens that is moved along an optical axis of a finder optical system in cooperation with the zoom ratio selecting device, to change a finder magnification according to the selected zoom ratio.
According to a preferred embodiment, the optical data recording device records the dots in a data recording zone that is located in a predetermined position adjacent each exposure area, the data recording zone being otherwise used for recording an aspect ratio code consisting of zero to two dots to designate a print aspect ratio for a respective picture frame.
A method of producing a photographic print from picture frames photographed by a lens-fitted photo film unit having a taking lens of a fixed focal length, comprises the following steps:
recording film data on an unexposed photo filmstrip, prior to loading the photo filmstrip in the lens-fitted photo film unit, the film data indicating that the photo filmstrip is directed to producing photographic prints in a predetermined size by enlarging different print areas at different print magnifications from one picture frame to another;
recording a number of dots optically on the photo filmstrip in association with each picture frame at each exposure, the number of the dots representing one of zoom ratios that is selected by a photographer;
detecting the film data and the number of the dots for each picture frame after the photo filmstrip is developed;
selecting, when the film data is detected, a print area and a print magnification from among predetermined options in accordance with the selected zoom ratio represented by the number of the dots detected for each picture frame; and
printing an image of the selected print area at the selected print magnification onto photographic paper.